How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 8: What rebels? It's all because of unpaid wages!

On the 26th day of the eighth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1628), at Santunying in Jizhou, it was just beginning to get light.

More than three thousand border soldiers had gathered in a dark mass in front of the governor's yamen. They were all starving, their eyes glazed over, and their spears trembled in the morning mist. Li Changgen, a centurion, kicked over the barricades in front of the gate, revealing a scar on his wrist, and roared in a hoarse voice, "If you don't pay your wages soon, brothers, we'll tear down the yamen and go out beyond the pass to find a way to survive!"

The old soldiers behind him had their cotton armor tattered and blackened. Some were carrying babies who were starving to death, while others had straw tags on their backs that read "Selling a child for five taels of silver." These men hadn't received their pay for thirteen months, and the tips of their spears trembled violently in the morning light. The shouts of "Pay! Pay!" echoed over the courtyard wall and pounded into the ears of Wang Yingzhi, the acting deputy military commissioner in charge of the governorship.

The unfortunate fellow huddled in the second hall, trembling. Every roar outside the window felt like a knife cutting into him. The imperial court hadn't allocated any grain or salary for thirteen months. How could he, a temporary deputy military commissioner, fill this bottomless pit?

Wang Yingzhi felt increasingly wronged. The governor above had been promoted to Governor-General of Jiliao because of the great victory at Ningjin, but the new governor refused to take over this mess, leaving him, a lowly official, to take the blame. Could there be anything more unjust?
He gripped the corner of the Shuntian Governor's seal tightly, his knees trembling beneath his official robes. "General Sun!" he whirled around, his voice trembling as he addressed Sun Zushou, the newly summoned commander of the Jizhou garrison, "Dispatch the elite troops to quell the unrest! Anyone who comes within ten paces of the gate, kill them!"

Sun Zushou, who was in the shadows, sighed deeply: "Six hundred of the standard battalion deserted last month," he said in a hoarse voice, "and the rest... are all standing outside the door."

Wang Yingzhi's eyes were bloodshot: "Where are the servants? You, a dignified general..."

"Servants?" Sun Zushou suddenly smiled bitterly. "If I don't drink the blood of my soldiers, how will I feed these man-eating dogs?"

These words hit home. Nowadays, there are plenty of generals who exploit soldiers and keep their own personal guards. A border garrison commander needs at least a thousand strong men to keep order... so that he and the governor don't lose their lives in the event of a mutiny!

Wang Yingzhi could only force a bitter smile: "General Sun, you have to... you have to find a way to appease them... I've gone to ask for the money, but whether the higher-ups will give it to me or not... there's nothing I can do! I'm just a deputy military commissioner..."

Sun Zushou sighed deeply.

……

The peeling vermilion gates of the yamen (government office) swung open with a deafening roar. Sun Zushou stepped alone into the crowd, three thousand pairs of hungry wolf-like eyes fixed on him. "Old brothers of Jizhou!" his thunderous voice boomed, as he pointed at Li Changgen, the ringleader of the riot, "The Li family of Changping Guard has received imperial favor for over two hundred years—today, this Li Changgen is rebelling! Do you think he has done right by his ancestors, or by the Ming Dynasty?"

Li Changgen trembled violently, and the spear tip clattered to the ground: "General, the brothers haven't been paid for thirteen months, and their rations are only half of what they were paid... and it's all mixed with bran, not enough to eat!"

Sun Zushou untied the iron sword from his waist and threw it at a grain supervisor: "This is a precious sword bestowed by Emperor Chengzu. Pawn it to Old Zhang at the grain shop to exchange for grain!"

The crowd fell silent, save for an old soldier's hoarse cry: "General, you mustn't! You only have eighty mu of sacrificial land left in your family!"

……

In the secret chamber behind the main hall, Wang Yingzhi dipped his brush in ink, sighed deeply, and wrote swiftly: "Sun Zushou, the General of Jizhou, secretly instigated a rebellion, feigning to exchange weapons for grain, but in reality, he was inciting unrest. Li Changgen and others are all his former subordinates from Changping; their demand for pay is merely a smokescreen..."

"Send it directly to the Ministry of Justice!" he ordered his trusted family member in a trembling voice. "Leave it tonight, and don't let those damned soldiers see it..."

Wang Yingzhi was also in a dilemma. The thirteen months of unpaid wages weren't his fault, but if a mutiny occurred, he would become the scapegoat. Only by pinning the blame for the "mutiny of the border troops" on Sun Zushou could he mobilize the Guan Ning cavalry to suppress the rebellion!
As ten carts of grain were brought into the drill ground, the torchlight illuminated Sun Zushou's gaunt face. A young soldier grabbed a handful of raw rice and stuffed it into his mouth, choking and rolling his eyes back. "What's the rush?" Sun Zushou lightly kicked the soldier and handed him a rough earthenware bowl. "Eat slowly. You'll have the strength to wait for the new emperor's pay if you're full."

At that moment, Sun Zushou was unaware that Wang Yingzhi on the city tower was stroking his beard and smiling bitterly.

“Sun Bizhi…” Wang Yingzhi muttered to himself, “You pawned your ancestral sword for grain out of concern for your brothers, and I smeared you to protect myself—this world has no place for good people!”

……

As night deepened, the torches on the drill ground still burned. Sun Zushou stood before the grain carts, watching the soldiers wolf down their food, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. He knew these soldiers didn't truly intend to rebel; they just wanted to survive.

"General," a personal guard asked in a low voice, "are you really betting your ancestral sword? That was bestowed upon you by Emperor Chengzu..."

Sun Zushou waved his hand: "Knives are inanimate, but people are alive. Let the brothers eat their fill first."

The soldiers on the drill ground gradually quieted down. They sat or lay around the grain carts, finally eating their first full meal in months. Li Changgen walked up to Sun Zushou and knelt on one knee: "General, brothers..." "No need to say anything," Sun Zushou helped him up, "I know you don't really want to rebel. Just bear with it a little longer. When the new emperor ascends the throne, the funds will be allocated."

He wasn't sure himself when he said that. But he knew he had to give these soldiers hope at that moment...

……

On the 27th day of the eighth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign (1628), at the Wenhua Hall

As dawn broke, the new emperor, Zhu Youjian, dressed in pure white, sat on his throne. Below him, on four brocade stools, sat the Grand Secretary Huang Lijie, the Second Grand Secretary Shi Fenglai, and the cabinet ministers Zhang Ruitu and Li Guopu, in order of seniority. The Minister of Rites, Lai Zongdao, and the Minister of Revenue, Guo Yunhou, stood with their hands at their sides. The Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Weixian, and the Duke of Chengguo, Zhu Chunchen, stood on either side of the steps. The Grand Eunuch Wei Zhongxian and the Grand Secretary Xu Yingyuan stood silently in the shadows beside the throne. Only low weeping could be heard in the hall—this was the custom of "crying at the imperial funeral" during the national mourning period; everyone simply shed a few perfunctory sobs.

"I have summoned you all today to discuss two matters," Emperor Chongzhen began, his voice steady. "First, my sister-in-law, Consort Zhang, is a woman of great virtue and has helped the nation during my ascension to the throne. The Ministry of Rites has proposed the title 'Yi An,' meaning 'pure virtue and good conduct, and stability of the ancestral temple.' The investiture ceremony will be conducted in accordance with the rites of the Empress Dowager."

Lai Zongdao hurriedly stepped forward and bowed: "Your subject obeys the decree. The edict has been drafted by the Hanlin Academy, and the golden edict and ceremonial carriage are all in accordance with regulations. It can be presented to Your Majesty for review in three days." He stole a glance at the throne and saw the new emperor nod slightly, and only then did his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settle down. This young emperor had only been on the throne for three days, but his methods for dealing with the eunuch faction were already ruthless and experienced.

Emperor Chongzhen's gaze swept over the crowd, and he tapped his knuckles three times on the rosewood armrest: "The second item, Lady Ke, the Lady of the Imperial Household." Before he finished speaking, Wei Zhongxian's python robe was instantly soaked with sweat.

"Since the passing of my elder brother, Madam Ke has acted improperly in many ways. Considering her contributions in raising the late Emperor, I cannot bear to punish her." Chongzhen spoke slowly, but each word struck like a hammer blow. "She is hereby detained on Nantai Island to reflect on her mistakes. No one is allowed to visit her without my personal edict. Her daily life shall be overseen by Wang Chengen, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. The confiscation of her property... shall be postponed."

"Temporarily suspending the confiscation of property" is to save money for the crime of giving money back—it's more cost-effective than sending people to confiscate property.

The transfer of custody to Nantaizi Island is a way of holding onto this card even tighter—it can be used to put pressure on Wei Zhongxian at any time!
The hall was deathly silent. Huang Lijie's ivory tablet tilted slightly. Wei Zhongxian lowered his eyelids, his eyes darting around rapidly—Ke Shi had become a sword hanging over his head! Even with a get-out-of-jail-free card, would that card really work?
Just then, Yang Shaozhen, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, holding a vermilion plaque, rushed into the palace gate without regard for etiquette: "Urgent dispatch from Jizhou! Wang Yingzhi, the Deputy Military Commissioner, has secretly reported that there has been a mutiny in Jizhou. General Sun Zushou has been condoning the rioters, protecting the ringleaders, refusing to suppress the rebellion, and even using his private wealth to buy off the soldiers. His actions are suspicious! Some in the rioting army have even threatened to surrender to the enemy. The situation is critical. I request that the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry be dispatched immediately to quell the unrest!" His roar tore through the stagnant air, and the memorial box slammed down in front of the Emperor.

Emperor Chongzhen frowned. He remembered that in his previous life, Sun Zushou was a loyal martyr who died in battle. And Wang Yingzhi… seemed to be a member of the eunuch faction. Of course, the current Chongzhen didn't discriminate against the eunuch faction, but the "loyalty" of the former certainly exceeded that of the latter!

"Read it," the emperor uttered.

Xu Yingyuan shuddered at the gaze, hastily picking up the memorial box and unfolding the secret memorial on yellow silk. His voice trembled almost imperceptibly: "...Your subject, Wang Yingzhi, begs for your life: The soldiers of Jizhou garrison have rioted over their pay, gathering a mob and besieging the governor's office. General Sun Zushou not only failed to obey the imperial order to dispatch troops to suppress the unrest, but also condoned the ringleaders, including Li Changgen. He even pawned his privately hidden sword to a grain merchant in exchange for grain, feigning benevolence to win over the soldiers. The rioting soldiers, now emboldened by the grain, have even shouted in public, 'It's better to surrender to the enemy and live!' Sun Zushou has turned a deaf ear; his intentions are unfathomable! I risked my life to intercept secret conversations within the army, all saying, 'We will follow General Sun's lead...' I am isolated in this besieged city, powerless to control the situation. I humbly beg Your Majesty to quickly dispatch the elite troops of Guan Ning to both suppress and appease them, to secure the capital region..."

This memorial is truly piercing, pinning down accusations of "condoning mutiny," "protecting the ringleaders," "refusing to suppress the rebellion," and "buying people's hearts" with unwavering resolve. It even points out the alarming rumors of "defection" and the soldiers' blatant obedience to Sun Zhen. How does the young emperor intend to handle this matter?

"What a fine 'powerless to control'!" Emperor Chongzhen suddenly sneered, interrupting Xu Yingyuan's recitation. He abruptly stood up from his throne: "Ministry of Revenue! Has the supplementary pay for the Jizhou garrison been issued?"

Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, shuddered and hurriedly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the silver stored in the Imperial Treasury was withdrawn yesterday according to the Ministry of War's calculations, totaling 87,000 taels. It is currently sealed in the Ministry's treasury and is awaiting the Ministry of War to arrange capable officers and guards to escort it..."

"No need for such trouble!" Chongzhen interrupted sharply. "Those documents from the Ministry of War, with their layers of guards, will be too late by the time they reach Jizhou! Wei Zhongxian!"

"This old servant is here!" The Ninth Prince, who was in the shadows, knelt down, his heart pounding.

"Take your men to the Ministry of Revenue's treasury and take the 87,000 taels of cash, along with another 23,000 taels from the Imperial Transport Treasury, to make a total of 110,000 taels. Load them onto the carts immediately! I will approve all the formalities afterward!"

"Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Weixian! Duke of Chengguo, Zhu Chunchen!"

"Your Majesty, we are here!" The two nobles clasped their hands and stepped forward.

"Gather all the capable servants and guards in your household, and have them don their armor and weapons! Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), they will accompany me out of Zhengyang Gate!"

These words shocked the entire hall! The Emperor was going to go among those starving soldiers? And with piles of silver?!
Facing the bewildered and astonished gazes of the crowd, Chongzhen's voice was resolute: "What mutiny? What defection? It's all because of thirteen months of unpaid wages! Wang Yingzhi is utterly depraved, even attempting to force loyal officials to their deaths; Sun Zushou's act of exchanging weapons for grain was to stabilize the morale of the army for the court! I'm going there to see with my own eyes how starved my border brothers are! I'm going there to personally distribute some of the unpaid wages to them! To let the soldiers know..." He waved his sleeve, pointing directly to the brightly lit sky outside the hall, "The new emperor has ascended the throne, and dawn has broken!"

(End of this chapter)